Be Bold v 2.0, Now New and Improved

Last night, a friend of mine told me about an idea she pitched for a magazine. It was to be bold every day in some big or small way and then write about her experiences. Never mind that this was for some O-style women's rag, The Bachelorette and I loved this idea immediately and were begging her to be participants. Who couldn't use a good dose of Be Bold v 2.0? BB v 1.8 is so 2005!

We would check in daily, be witness to each other's boldness, and the article could be about our cumulative experiences. I'm thinking she could call it, Big, Bad and Bold. Hell, with a title like that we'd be pretty well-positioned for world domination (or at least, one helluva good name for a line of cosmetics).

So where to begin? What does BB v2.o look like? Sound like? Smell like? Uh, maybe we can skip that last one But, chances are the answers would be unique to each of us. Personally, I think quitting my job and moving to a new city without nary a plan qualifies me for about a year's worth of boldness. But you already made those decisions, The Bachelorette informs me as if I don't already know. So like the rest of them, I, too, have to start at the starting line.

Quickly, we discount dating and relationships with the mens. We can only use that, like, once, because it's simply too obvious. And that would just get boring and predictable for our readers. Yeah, we could ask the hot cashier at Trader Joe's we've been crushed out on for months for a date. Yawn. Sure, we could call that loser that dumped us back and tell him how we really feel. Snooze. And, hey, that's what Harlequin's are for. Another round of drinks and we move on to the badder of the ideas.

The Bachelorette suggests she shave her head. But you just got such cute hair cut! I shout back. I suggest moving to New York and then we decide maybe a combination of the two could work. But wait a minute, this is BB v. 2.0, why not move to Argentina, why not sell all our things and travel the globe? Why not become ex-pats? Why not make a film about it? A memoir? A reality show? We try to think about things our mothers couldn't do at our age bogged down with children and husbands and households. In the process, we end up getting off track and cursing women's liberation for giving us too many choices. We curse our high ideals, our unrealistic expectations, our empty beds. We curse our extended adolescence that leaves us still reeling like teenagers but inching towards being too old to actually having kids of our own. And then we get back on track, sort of.

There are the bigger ideas. The daily ways in which we could be bold--after all that is what we are supposed to be talking about. We could ask our neighbors over for dinner, the ones that kind of scare us. We could take the time at work to talk with someone whom we really don't know. We could ask that homeless guy about his childhood. We could have real conversations with our parents about things that really matter to us and assume they will understand. We could give a spontaneously give a friend in need 50 bucks. Not loan, but give.

We walk home in the rain. We raise our fists in the air. Tourists keep asking us questions as if we know all the answers. We fall asleep brave and proud and bold.

And then we wake up. What bold thing are you going to do today? awaits me in my mailbox. I honestly respond that I feel a little hungover and well, not terribly bold. Plus it's all rainy out, I didn't sleep well and...What about you?

No, nothing at all.

Which goes to show, we are all looking for a little bit of inspiration.